Cabell Midland’s Kinker captains Class AAA all-state baseball squad

WHEELING — It’s a difficult feat to be named first-team all-state in any sport.

Most players never earn the honor. Then again, the laurel shouldn’t go to just any player.

It’s for the players that go beyond what they’re expected to do. It’s for those who put the extra time in at practice and those who believe there is never such a thing as an offseason.

A total of 15 athletes earned the honor of being named to the Class AAA first-team all-state squad for baseball as selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

From the 10 seniors who made the cut to the lone sophomore, these players put their blood, sweat and tears into the game, and this is their reward.

Six players have earned the honor twice, and it starts with Cabell Midland’s Seth Kinker, who was selected as captain after his senior campaign.

Kinker, the Mountain State Athletic Conference Player of the Year, posted a 9-3 record to go with a 0.33 ERA and 117 Ks for the Knights. In a little more than 84 innings pitched, he walked only 19 batters. He also hit at a .361 clip and drove in 28 runs.

Other repeat selections are seniors Joey Mundy of Huntington, Jimmy Galusky of Preston and Shane Ennis of Hampshire. Two juniors also earned back-to-back honors in Logan’s Zach Minnick and Hurricane’s J.T. Rogoszewski.

Senior Travis Renner of University was named captain of the second team. He was joined at utility by Hurricane junior Trey Dawson, Woodrow Wilson senior Logan Wriston and Cabell Midland senior Cody Ballengee.